When I saw this reel from Rosie at the Cottage, I designated 2025 as the year of the Louisa May Alcott Christmas in our home. (“Little Women Winter” is the moniker I never knew I always needed.) It’s fitting, because Jo March has been my desktop companion while writing my book this entire year. I’ve had a tiny post-it note reading JO MARCH ENERGY on my monitor to put some wind in my sails, and she’s included in the acknowledgments of the book, too. So yes. A very March Woman year. And for holiday, we’re talking cinnamon tea in a stovetop kettle, orange garlands, paper chains, quilts, taper candles with velvet ribbons.
A few clever and inspiring reels that got my juices flowing:
THIS FROM MOTHERMEG (LOVE THOSE HANGING STARS)
HOW TO ACTUALLY MAKE PAPER STARS
I am also thinking of Magpie reader, Kelly, who designates a corner of her home “the Nutcracker Lounge” every year. When sharing what she loves about this season, she wrote: “Every winter we cover out outdoor couch in faux fur blankets and set out a tray of candles, my husband calls it the “Nutcracker Lounge.” I love this! I will be working on my March Family Dining Room in tandem.
ILLUSTRATED LITTLE WOMEN // QUILT // CANDLESTICKS // TAPERED CANDLES // PILLOW COVERS // BRASS BOW TREE TOPPER // BASKETS // MITTENS // ORANGE CANDLE // TEA KETTLE // WREATH // PAPER CHAIN
Little Women Winter Mood Board.
You know I had to make a Pinterest board for this — !! Just putting this together left me so deeply excited to re-watch both versions.
Below, my picks for a “Little Women Winter” at home —
01. Dried orange garland for $20.
02. Boxwood wreaths.
04. This quilt from Schoolhouse.
05. This paper chain kit – fun craft for the kids too!
06. Riley Sheehey’s illustrated version of Little Women.
07. Antique brass candlesticks.
08. Pencils with some of my favorite quotes from the book.
09. Tapered candles in fall tones.
10. Velvet ribbon.
13. The perfect reading nook chair.
14. Christmastide dessert plates.
15. Chappywrap’s newest throw blankets.
16. Orange spice wreath + garland.
18. Orange tree scented candle.
20. Candle care kit.
21. I love this rotating candle — a touch of whimsy.
22. Decorative rug.
24. Classic green satin ribbon.
27. These woven baskets with velvet ribbon are very on brand.
29. Wooden sled.
31. Gold scissors.
“Little Women Winter” Starter Pack.
NIGHTGOWN // CARDIGAN // MITTENS // ILLUSTRATED LITTLE WOMEN // CHAPPYWRAP BLANKET // CANDLE // TEA KETTLE // PAPER CHAIN // PENCILS
“Little Women Winter” Reading Nook.
RUG // RATTAN PRESENT // ACCENT CHAIR // QUILT // WOVEN BASKETS // PILLOW COVERS // CANDLE STICKS // TAPERED CANDLES
P.P.S. My review of Wuthering Heights.
P.P.P.S. Gifts for book lovers.
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Extremely honored to be included!! I’ve been doing German Christmas incense to get that wood fire smell, and we’ve been doing evening candlelight each night. I have my sights set on a massive wood wick candle for fireplace vibes. My tree comes next weekend so we will set up the lounge, thought I don’t for the life of me know where my fur blankets have wound up. It will be a more minimal lounge this year so my kids still have space to ride their bikes, but key are our Govee programmable lights, our outdoor heater, lots of cozy blankets for snuggling, and a few themed toys like the toy nativity or our Christmas train. I let them mess with our tree a bit, all the breakable ornaments get hung up high on a wreath they can’t reach. We each have a pair of plush slippers and a layerable jacket so we can go out in our PJs each morning. That’s usually how I transition to turning off the TV!
Key part of the prep is the snacks: Christmas-y tea, little olives and taralli and charcuterie, Christmas beers and chocolates and a little cream liqueur or even port. Soon I’ll be filling my fridge with cookies too!
I want more nutcrackers too to make the lounge worthy of its name! Colors this year are silver and burgundy, helped along by Zara Home’s lovely Christmas range.
This all sounds so lovely 🙂 Just reading this I decided I’m going to do something I always wanted to do: buy a little artificial tree for our bedroom. I just know it will bring me so much joy to fall asleep to soft lights / wake up to see it. Now to do research…
xx
I love that for you!! Our tree is on the balcony outside my room so I fall asleep to lights!! Can’t recommend it enough. I remember last Christmas waking up in the middle of the night and my son was awake with his little nose pressed to my window.
A Little Women winter makes winter almost seem desirable. As someone who grew up in the Southeastern US, winter is a struggle in the Northern European city in which I live. Having only six or seven hours of daylight in winter is far worse than the cold. Sunsets at 3:00 pm are brutal. I try to lean into candles, soft lightening, cozy blankets, copious amounts of tea and buy fresh flowers at least once per week. It’s also important to get up early to get every last drop of daytime (not sunlight since we don’t see it for weeks), plenty of exercise and vitamin D supplementation. Thank you for giving me inspiration to find my inner Jo March and lean into the beauty of winter. Which is your favorite film adaptation of LW?
I can imagine that the early sunset is very difficult. My brother and his family live in Trondheim, Norway, and have a similar situation. Very dark for most of the day! And a lot of snow. It is hard! The winters are punishing for them. Maybe the LW twist will be a helpful reframe or foothold. I love all your other tactics for keeping the season bright and cozy! Fresh flowers is a good one.
For LW – a tie between the Winona one and the Saoirse one. I refused to believe anything could top the Winona one but the new one is, in fact, incredible and highlights different parts of the book. I loved the way it teased out more of the complexity in the relationships between the sisters — made them feel more modern, round, with rough edges and irresolution. I found that so believable and brave. And I adore the soundtrack for the new one and that scene with Jo and Beth on the beach, which absolutely split my heart in two. I also thought Timothee was excellent! So charming and also brought out a different kind of levity in the character. But then the original — ! I think it made me fall in love with the book instead of vice versa. Hard to imagine a movie can do that!!
What did you think?
xx
Trondheim would be an even harsher version of winter. Do they take warm weather breaks to get through. Around here people go pretty much any place that is warm. I’m not even sure they care which destination as long as it’s warm and sunny. Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, Morocco, and lately Madagascar are the most popular.
My husband and I watched the two versions on two consecutive nights. I am partial to the 90s version while he preferred the newer one. I 100% agree that the Winona version made me fall in love with the book which is likely the reason for my partiality.
They do try to get away in the winter! They need that break, that sunlight. When they visit in the summer, I feel like they’re still thawing out…! It’s an intimidating landscape to live in! From what my brother and SIL tell me, there is a lot to learn from the native Norwegians in how they navigate it.
So interesting you and your husband preferred different versions! Both so good. What a treat to watch back to back. I might follow suit!
xx